Road construction



April 2, 1929. c. STENBOL 1,707,372

ROAD CONSTRUCTION Filed Nov.21; 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet. 1

- 'I QQL JI Awe-Mme. 6341a 575M901.

i with the gauge of vehicle wheels.

line 6-6 of Figure 5.

Patented Apr. 2, i929.

* UNITED STATES PAT ENT or ice] CARL s'rENBoL, oFsAU-nr stun. MARIE,oNTARI oANAnAf noAi) CONSTRUCTION.

, Application filedNoverhber 21, 1927.: Serial No. 234,825."

This invention relates to improvements in road construction and moreparticularly to improvements in roads and highways to provide apermanent wearing surface for the wheels of vehicles and to definitelyregulate trafiic so as to assure .the'greatest possible comfort andsafety 'forthe'driver.

In existing construction of roads and higl'zways it has been found thatgravel or crushed stone "will not make a permanent road surface withoutbonding with cement,

or the like in view of the' inasphalt, tar,

continuous automobile trafiic.

creased and The surface highway extends'over the entire width of theroadbed whereas the Wheel contact on the surface is comparativelyrestricted and runs in definite lines orhands. Consequently if theselines or bands are formed with a permanent wearing surface traffic willbe definitely regulated, being automatically give strength, flexibilityand to withstand wear from corrosion and abrasion. A high carbon steelsuch as is used for ran-way ra ls 'may be preferably used from aneconomical point of view Referring now-tothe drawingsin which likecharacters of reference indicate correspending parts in each figure,

Figure 11s a perspective View of a section of roadway fitted with myimproved metallic bands or strips. v

Figure 2 is a section on the line 22 of Figure *1 showing the bands sunkin the roadbed. 3

Figure 3 is a sectional detail throughone of the strips.

Figure 4 is a plan viewof the roughened or corrugated surface of astrip; Figure 5 a-plan view ofthe stripat a danger point such as arailway crossing.

Figure 6 is an enlarged section on the Figure 7 shows a singletrack-road at a 'in Figure 9.

of'the present or permanent,

plates or bolts,

cause much inconvenience. V It will be noted that the plateQO maybedanger point such as curves, around rocks;

or; buildings or over hills. v

Figure 8 shows a section'of a road for heavy'trafiic with four tracks. 7"Jdigure' 9 is a detail of the sections or strips laid around curves,and formed in short sections. V

Figure 10 shows the wearing strips laid around a curve of longersections than those Figure 11 is a'section of the joint plate' on lme1l-11 of Figure 3.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings A indicates a sectionofa road or ,permanent highway of ,well known construction' in whichare'laid' the metallic I tracks or strips 10 and ll'formed with theirtop surface roughened or corrugated in any well known manner as at 12(see Figure -These trackmembers are countersunk in the roadbed so thatthe roughened surface 12 will be flush with the surface 13 of the road,;

the dimensions being determined" by. the

traflic that is to be carried. H The under side of these track membersis curved as a't'lt so as to allow the band being thicker in the centrethan towards the edges. It also provided with a rib or ribs 151 1111-ning longitudinally on the under side. These bands or tracks 10 and 11will be manufactured-in suitable lengths for shipment' and handling andlaid together in the roadbed as at 16, the joints being made with ashereinafter more fully described.

Two of these trackmembers form one track and are held to'gauge bysuitable, tie

bars '17 buried" in the roadbed 18. 'Joint "plates 20 on the undersiden-f the sections will hold the whole track inalignment with the road.

Referring more particularly to Figure 1,' a

the 'track members lO-and 11" are formed in twofsections joined togetherby means of a joint plate 20 and tiebar 1 7 sunk in the 'roadbed, As thetrack, members 10 and 11 are to some extent vertically flexible anyheavin or settling of the roadbed will not folded (see Figure 3) as at21 into the' dee j p'ression or recess 22 formed in the track member 10or l'lxThe rib 15 is formed; with a rolled wearing plate and runslongitudinally the fuIIlength of the track, its purpose being toreinforce the track without adding an excess of material and alsov toform an anchor in the roadbed to hold the track to gauge and to the lineof the road.

The member 20 is preferably, as illustrated, bolted or riveted to thetie bar 17.

In Figure 5 are disclosed track members laid at the approach to arailroad crossing 28 or other danger poihtswhere the driver is requiredfor his own safety to stop, look, and listen. Inthis construction thetrack members are provided, in addition to the roughened surface, withribs 24 integral therewith (see Figure 6) to more effectively engagewith the wheels of the vehicle and to set up a noticeable vibrationthereby warning drivers automatically of approaching daniger, These ribs24 may be formed in and part of track sections 10 and 11 or madeseparately and bolted or riveted to the upper surface of the tracksections 10 and 11. v

Figure 7 shows a single track road at dangerous points such as curves,around rocks or buildings or over hills where the driver has a verylimited view of approach ing vehicles. The single track is laid to theright from both sides of the danger point and carried on for sufficientlength until the danger is passed.

Figure 8 discloses a method oflaying the tracks for very heavy trafficincluding four tracks on which a slowdriver on the right hand centretrack would have to turn onto the curb or slow track to allow the fasterdriver to pass providing the greatest comfort and safety.

Figures 9 and 10 show a modified form of laying the track in a pluralityof sections 25 for curves.

I An alternative to the joint illustrated in Figs. 3 may be made bysimply bolting or riveting the joint plate 2.0 to track sections 10 and11 omitting recess 22.

As many changes could be made in the above construction and manyapparently widely different embodiments of my invention within the scopeof the claims, constructed without departingfrom the spirit or scopethereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the accompanyingspecification and drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and notin a limiting sense.

What I claim as my invention i 1. Road construction including spacedlongitudinally extending rails formed in sections countersunk in theroadway, said rails being provided on the underside with a continuousreinforcing rib, joint plate means for clamping the sections together,and retaining means in the form ofa tie bar rigidly connected to theafore-mentioned means. I v

2. The invention according claim 1 in which recesses are formed in therail sections for engagement with the joint plate.

3. The inventionaccording to claim 1 in which the outer ends of thejointplate are folded to engage with and clamp the rail sections. I I

4:. The invention according to claim 1 characterized'by the fact thatjoint plates are provided for the rails and recesses formed in the railsto engage with the folded ends of the joint plates.

5. A roadway having a pair of spaced parallel longitudinally extendingrails disposed therein and flush with the top surface thereof, aroughened treadsurface for said rails, side recesses at spaced points inthe rails, joint plates sunk in the roadbed adapted to engage with saidrecesses, and transversely extending means rigidly secured to said jointplates. I 6. In road construction and in combination with the roadway,rail sections formed with a continuous reinforcing rib countersunk inthe roadway, joint plates for said sections comprising a fiat baseportion with extensions at each end to engage with and clamp a rail, atransversely extending tie bar in the roadbed, means for rigidly secur-"ing the joint plates to said bar, and spaced cross-ribs for the railsections fect vibration.

In witnesswhereof I have hereunto set my hand.

CARL sT'ENnoL;

adapted to ef-

